ST. PETER, Minn. - Despite a strong effort, the Saints came up short in a 61-49 road decision against Gustavus Adolphus on Tuesday night at Gus Young Court.
The Saints battled early but struggled to find offensive rhythm in the opening quarter, trailing 18-6 after one. They responded in the second with their best stretch of the night, outscoring Gustavvus 21-20.
Ava Haus (St. Michael, MN/St. Michael-Albertville High School) knocked down three triples in the half and finished with 15 points, while
Kloey Lind (Pine City, MN/Pine City HS) attacked the paint and got to the free-throw line, helping the Saints cut into the deficit heading into halftime.
Lind led all Saints scorers with 19 points, shooting 6-of-10 from the field and adding seven rebounds. Haus added seven rebounds of her own, while
Gabby Voigt (St. Michael. MN/St. Michael- Albertville HS) provided a spark off the bench, going a perfect 3-for-3 from the floor for seven points.
Coming out of halftime, the Saints continued to compete on the defensive end, but Gustavus used a strong third quarter to create separation. The Saints were held to 10 points in the period, despite getting to the line and battling on the boards. Lind and Haus continued to lead the offensive push.
In the fourth quarter, the Saints showed resilience, cutting the deficit to 11 after a Schlueter three and continued interior scoring from Lind. However, Gustavus answered at the free-throw line late to hold off the comeback attempt.
As a team, the Saints shot 40 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point range, with 13 points coming off the bench. They also recorded 15 assists and battled on the glass throughout the night.
The Saints will look to build when they head to Northfield, Minnesota for a matchup with the Knights of Carleton on Saturday, January 24th. Tip-off is at 1:00pm.
